Tube-cleaner



F. ZLATNIK.

TUBE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED III/w14, 1919. l

Patnted Oct. 12, 1920.

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H2L/11111K.

TUBE CLEANER.

'l' APPLICATION FILED MAY I4, I9I9. 1,350,726. Patented oct. 12,1920.

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Y lI a A TTOR/IIEI/S UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.v

FRANK ZLATNIK, 0F MAMI, ARIZONA.

TUBE-swam Specification of Letters Patent. i Patented Oct 12 i920.

A l Application led lay 14, 1919. Serial No. 297,042.

To a whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK ZLATNIK, a citizen of the United States, andaresident of Miami,.in the county of Gila and State of Arizona, haveinvented a new and Improved TubeCleaner, of which the followin is afull, clear, and exact description.

fy invention-` relates to tube cleaners of a type suitable for scrapingthe interior of condenser tubes and analogous structures.

More particularly stated my invention comprehends a tube cleaner inwhich there is a tubular body to be thrust into the tube and turned,this tubular body carrying scraper blades mounted loosely in relationtoit, and movable within certain limits for the purpose of enabling themto adjust themselves to compensate for irregularities of the innersurfaces of the tubes, and means for subjecting said scraper bladesdirectly to the action of hydraulic pressure for the purpose of forcingthe blades radially out. ward. n

My invention further comprehends the use of a pilot drill so arranged asto be lubricated by. the supply of water thus used for forcing thescraper blades outwardly.

My invention further contemplates arranging the scraper blades in pairs,eachv pair being mounted in a different section of the tube cleaner.

1n addition my Yinvention comprehends the use of springs in connectionwith the blades for forcing the springs outwardly inthe eventthat thepressure of the water is too weak for this purpose.

My invention further contemplates various structural improvements intube cleaners and in the arrangement 'of the parts thereof. "L

Reference is made tothe accompanying drawings forming apart of thisspecification and in which like reference characters indicate like'parts throughout Vthe several figures. Mms

zontal section through my improved tube cleaner when arranged in tandem;

Fig. 2 is a section on the l1ne 2-2 of Fig.y 1 looking in the directionof the arrow;

Fig. 3 is a section on the lme 3 3, Fig. Y

form of my invention in which the mounting of the scraper blades isdifferent from that shown in the other ligures; 6

Fig. 6 is a substantially central longitudinal section through anotherform of my device;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6 lookinglin the directionof the ar-v row;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing another form of my invention.

A drill bit is shown at Sand is provided with` a longitudinal passage 9and a pair of Short passages 10 extending laterally from thelongitudinal passage through the bit as may be understood from Fig. 1.The drill bit is provided with a threaded portion 11 of reduceddiameter, the portion 11 extending into an opening 13 in a shaftAsection 12, this opening being threaded so that th'e drill bit issecured firmly upon the adjacent end of the shaft section 12. This shaftsection 12 is provided with a threaded portion 14 which engages a matingthreaded portion 15 with which another section 16 is provided. Thesection 16 carries a threaded portion 17 of reduced diameter which tsinto a head 18, this head being provided,

with a stem 19. Thestem 19 is threaded for the purpose of facilitatingits coupling with a hollow spindle, of the usual or any i desiredconstruction, whereupon my device is to be mounted. The head 18 with itsreduced portion 19 is provided with a passage 20-y extending throughit.i Mounted within the head 18 is a ring 21 and similarly mountedwithin the portion 14 of the section 12 is a ring 22.' These rings arefor the purpose of preventing the scraper blades,

which are shown at 23, 24, from. being dis* l placed beyond certainlimits. The scraper blades 23 are like the scraper blades 24 butV theplane of theblades 23 crosses the plane ofthe blades '24 as indicated inFigs 1 v'and 2. Each scraper blade' 23 is provided with projecting endportions 26 to prevent the removal. of the scraper blades except whenthe. sections are taken apart to permit such removal. The constructionand action of the scraper blades 24 are otherwise f the same Vas that ofthe scraper blades 23.

The parts thus far described being assembled as shown,.the structure asa whole 1s -mounted upon a`spind1e of tubular form, the latter beingconnected with a hydraulic supply. The spindle with the tube cleaner isthrust into a tube and is turned. Water being -forced through thespindle and into the tube 'cleaner is unable to escape with suficientfreedom to diminishits pressure beyond a predetermined normal limit.Since, however,I the yvater escapes through the small passages 10 and tosome extent finds its way out around the scraper blades a flow of waterinto the tube is thus insured. The water thus flowing into the tubeserves as a lubricant for the drill bit 8 and also for the scraperblades 23, 24, The hydraulic pressure within the tube cleaner forces thescraper blades-outwardly so that they press against the adjacentinternal surface of the tube. As the tube cleaner continues to rotatethe scraper blades cut away the scale, dirt and waste from the interiorof the tube and the debris thus formed is washed out and carried away bythe water. In some instances, I make a section having the form shown at26 in Fig. 5 and provided with slots forming a cross 27 as seen in crosssection. In this instance, the scraper blades appear as indicated at 28.The structure and action in this device as shown in Fig. 5 are otherwisethe same as abofve described with reference to Fig. 1.

In instances where the pressure of the water may not be adequate toactuate the scraper blades as above described, I employ the arrangementshown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The shaft sections are shown at 28, 29 and are fitted with rings 30, 31s imila-r to the rings 21, 22 above described. The scraper blades appearat 32, 33 and 35. The blades 32 engage a leaf spring 34 of arcuate formwhereby the are ushed apart as may be understood rom ig. 7 and from theleft handv portion of Fig. 6. A similar spring 36 isemployed inthesection 33.

In some instances use scraper blades of the type shown at 38, theseblades being provided with notches 39, the purpose of lwhich is obvious.If desired. instead ofa drill bit 8 there may be employed a plug 40which simply closes one end of the tube cleaner.

The leaf springs 3i, 36 may, if desired, be used in connection with thewater ressure. This is the arrangement shown in 6.

In Fig.-8isshown vmy device as used with a single cutting sectioipr:ided with a closure plug. A. section 41 is providlswith a detachableportion 42 carrying a threaded\ stem 43. Blades are'shown at 44 and ex-Iscraper blades instead of two in each section of the tube cleaner, thescale is removed much more rapidly. i

`Owing to the fact that the scraping cut- 'ters can yield to obstaclesencountered in the tube, it is obvious that they may be forced throughportions of the tube where owing to the presence of excessive quantitiesof scale or the like, the real diameter of the tube is considerably lessthan the maximum diameter of tube which can be scraped by the device. E

I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism shown as variations may`be made therefrom without departing Jfrom the spirit of my invention.

' Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A fiue cleaner consisting of a hollow body having radial slotsextending from the opposite sides thereof, a plurality of cleaner bladesfreely slidable in said slots and each having extensions on its endsadapted to bear-against the inner surface of said body, a leaf springhaving its ends bearing against one of said blades and its body portionbearing against an oppositely located blade, and a fluid supply meansconnected Vwith said body and adapted to exert pressure directlyagainstthe entire inner edge of said blades.y 2. A flue cleaner lconsisting ofa hollow body having radial slots extending from the opposite sidesthereof, a plurality of floating or yielding scraper blades freelyslidable in said slots and each having extensions on its ends ada ted to/limit theJotfa/ilJ movement of sa1d blades by contact with the'innersurface of the body, and a lfluid. supply means connected with said bodyand.I adapted to exert pressure directly against thefentire innersurface'gfsaid blades.

"FRANK ZLATNIK.

